Today’s NewsStand

Today’s NewsStand

By Iowa Hospital Association|
|November 30, 2020

Featuring hospital and health care headlines from the media and the web.

Iowa news

Iowans must fight again for state support of mental health services

Two years ago, Iowa had a breakthrough. After decades of dedicated but frustrating work by many Iowans, policymakers finally made progress on addressing urgent needs for mental health services. But they didn’t finish the job. Now, COVID-19 has heightened the need for these services while creating complications and hurdles no one ever imagined back in 2018. Isolation, fear, the stress of job losses and uncertainty have challenged even healthy people. Iowa practitioners report more depression and anxiety among Iowans and an increased severity of both conditions. (Des Moines Register)

Guest opinion: Thank you to our front-line workers

This holiday season, we have more reason than ever to be thankful for the front-line workers who are providing essential services in Greater Des Moines. To our health care workers, first responders, teachers, grocers, retail, restaurant, utility workers and others who are sacrificing so much: thank you. (Business Record)

UnityPoint workers share COVID-19 experiences on video

It’s no secret that Siouxland continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases. Since the pandemic began in March, health care workers have been at the forefront of efforts to treat those suffering from the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Stories nationwide have detailed the stress health care workers have experienced caring for patients with COVID-19 and the seemingly unending task. UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s on Wednesday posted a video on its social media accounts in which workers there talk about their experiences battling the pandemic. (Sioux City Journal)

National news

Hospital financial losses mount amid COVID-19 resurgence: 5 things to know

Twenty-eight percent of hospitals in the U.S. reported losing money amid the COVID-19 resurgence, according to data from Strata Decision Technology, cited by Bloomberg Law. Financial performance platform Strata included data from 295 hospitals in 36 states in its report. (Becker’s Hospital CFO Report)

Understanding the difference in telemedicine, telehealth and telecare

With the recent practice of social distancing and quarantining due to COVID-19, more medical health practices than ever before have turned to telemedicine, telehealth, and telecare to treat patients and deliver medical advice. Between telecommunication apps and video conferencing tools, patients are able to get medical help without leaving their home. (OurCommunityNow.com)

COVID-19 data is about to flatten, drop and spike

The four-day Thanksgiving weekend will disrupt a number of COVID-19 data points for several days, causing a plateau or drop followed by a spike, neither of which should be taken as evidence of anything to do with the pandemic itself, according to The COVID Tracking Project. (Becker’s Health IT)

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